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Posts tagged as “San Antonio”

Spurs routs Timberwolves to Lead the Series 3 – 2

Raul Dominguez, reporting for Associated Press and published on NBA.COM;

Victor Wembanyama atoned for his first career ejection with another huge performance, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round series.

The two wins by the Timberwolves prove that they can only win this series if they can stop Wemby from playing, which is what happened in Game 1 and Game 4.

Even without Wembanyama, Minnesota’s win felt more like a war than a walk in the park. It is a testament to how deep the Spurs are.

Game highlights;

Game 5 will be back in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves will look to tie the series and the Spurs will look to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where OKC is waiting for them.

Spurs Blows Out Wolves to even series (133 – 95)

Ben Lambert, reporting for NBA.Com;

A dominant performance from San Antonio.

Stephon Castle (21 pts) led six Spurs in double figures. They were in control from the early minutes, holding the Timberwolves to 38.8% shooting.

“We don’t care (about their experience advantage),” said Victor Wembanyama (19 pts, 15 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk).

San Antonio earned a 58-36 advantage in points in the paint and outran the Wolves for a 29-5 margin in fast break points.

Minnesota turned the ball over 22 times — that’s tied for the second-most they committed this season.

As expected, the Spurs made sure Game 2 went in their favor; I’m certain the Game 1 loss left a bad taste in their mouths.

The series now shifts to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4; the Spurs have yet to secure a win at the Target Center during the 2025–2026 season.

Game 3 will be this Friday evening.

Game highlights;

Timberwolves Stun Spurs in Game 1 Thriller (104 – 102)

The Western Conference Semifinals kicked off with an absolute classic as the Minnesota Timberwolves steal one from the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 in a nail-biting Game 1. The night was defined by a stunning medical turnaround: Anthony Edwards, previously sidelined with a knee injury, made a surprise return to score 18 points, including 11 in a decisive fourth-quarter surge.

While Edwards provided the spark, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic performance, the Defensive Player of the Year recorded a rare triple-double, setting an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Despite his dominance at the rim, San Antonio struggled to find consistent scoring late in the game.

Julius Randle led Minnesota with 21 points and 10 rebounds, helping the 6th-seeded Wolves maintain their poise after a frantic late-game steal by Devin Vassell. A missed buzzer-beater by Julian Champagnie ultimately sealed the win for Minnesota, handing the 2nd-seeded Spurs a rare home loss to open the series.

You can watch the last 2-mins of the game below;

Game 2 will remain in San Antonio this Wednesday evening.

Game highlights;

2026 NBA Conference Semifinals Matchups

The second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs (Conference Semifinals) is set to begin on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The first round concluded on Sunday, May 3, featuring a historic night of Game 7s. In the East, both the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers completed rare comebacks from 3–1 series deficits to advance.

Eastern Conference Matchups

  • (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
  • (3) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

Western Conference Matchups

  • (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) L.A. Lakers
  • (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Spurs advances to the 2nd round after routing the Trail Blazers (114 – 95)

Spurs will advance to the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs as they dispose the Portland Trail Blazers 114 – 95 in Game 5 on Tuesday night. Played in front of Spurs homecourt, the Frost Bank Center, the victory sealed a 4-1 series gentleman’s sweep for the Spurs, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and suffocating defense against the Trail Blazers.

De’Aaron Fox led the scoring with 21 points and 9 assists, while Julian Champagnie provided a massive spark from the perimeter, knocking down five three-pointers for 19 points. Victor Wembanyama anchored the interior defense, recording a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds alongside a dominant 6 blocks.

Portland struggled to find a rhythm throughout the contest, trailing by 20 points at halftime. Despite a valiant 22-point effort from Deni Avdija, the Blazers couldn’t overcome San Antonio’s efficiency. The Spurs now look ahead to the Western Conference Semifinals waiting for the winner between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.

Game highlights

Spurs routs Trail Blazers to take 3-1 series lead (114 – 93)

Returning from injury with a vengeance, Wembanyama’s 27-point, 7-block performance fueled the Spurs’ 114-93 victory on Sunday. San Antonio are now one win away from clinching the series against Portland. As the video description says “Spurs victory is the second-largest comeback in franchise postseason history in the play-by-play era.

De’Aaron Fox added 28 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the Spurs, who will return home for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Portland led by as many as 19 points in the first half, even holding the Spurs to just 18 points in the second quarter. However, San Antonio turned the tables in the second half, stifling the Trail Blazers to 16 and 19 points in the final two frames while scoring for 33 and 40 points of their own.

Despite 26 points from Avdija and 20 from Holiday, Portland couldn’t overcome the Spurs’ defensive pressure. San Antonio dominated the hustle stats, out-blocking Portland 10–5 and winning the turnover battle with 13 steals to the Blazers’ 6.

The series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5, giving the Spurs an opportunity to close out the series at home.

Game Highlights

Trail Blazers defeats Spurs to even Series (106 – 103)

The Portland Trail Blazers closed the game on a 16–4 run over the final five minutes to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 106–103 and even the series at 1–1.

9 Lead Changes | Tied 9x

Trail Blazers
Scoot Henderson – 31 PTS (11-17 FG) | 5 3PM
Jrue Holiday – 16 PTS (6-17 FG) | 5 REB | 9 AST
FG: 38-89 (42.7%) | 3P: 13-38 (34.2%)
REB: 43 | AST: 18 | STL: 8 | BLK: 10

Spurs
Stephon Castle – 18 PTS (7-20 FG) | 8 REB | 5 AST
De’Aaron Fox – 17 PTS (6-16 FG) | 4 AST | 3 STL
FG: 38-86 (44.2%) | 3P: 7-24 (29.2%)
REB: 45 | AST: 19 | STL: 13 | BLK: 5

Trail Blazers – Bench: 26 | Paint: 40 | 2ndPTS: 23 | PTSTO: 24
Spurs

Real talk! The Blazers would not have won if Wemby hadn’t fallen to the ground and exited with a concussion. Even without Wemby, the Spurs still managed to build a 14-point lead (93–79) with eight and a half minutes left in the game; however, Portland went on a 27–10 run to close the game with a win.

Here’s a clip of that nasty Victor Wembanyama fall resulting in a concussion.

Game 3 of the first-round playoffs will now shift to Portland. We’ll see how San Antonio adjusts their game, especially if Victor Wembanyama is on limited playing time.

Victor Wembanyama Wins the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Wemby is basically blocking and rebounding the ball at the sametime! 😀

Update: As per Michael C. Wright, reporting for ESPN;

SAN ANTONIO — Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday night, becoming the first to win the award unanimously and setting the 7-foot-4 phenom on a path he predicted for himself as a rookie.

Wembanyama is also a finalist for 2026 NBA MVP.

Spurs defeats Trail Blazers as Wembanyama Makes History in Playoff Debut (111 – 98)

The San Antonio Spurs officially ended their six-season postseason drought with a commanding 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round Playoffs.

Victor Wembanyama stole the show in his playoff debut, exploding for 35 points, breaking Tim Duncan’s franchise record for a postseason opener. Supported by Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox, who added 17 points each, with 7 and 8 assists, respectively. The Spurs led throughout at a raucous Frost Bank Center. Despite a valiant 30-point effort from Portland’s Deni Avdija, the Blazers struggled to contain San Antonio’s length and defensive efficiency. The Spurs now hold a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2.

Game highlights;

Nuggets defeat Spurs 136-134 powered by Jokic’s 40-points Double-Double

In a high-stakes game with playoff-level intensity, the Denver Nuggets edged the San Antonio Spurs 136–134 in an overtime thriller on Saturday night. The game served as a masterclass from the NBA’s top two MVP candidates, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, who traded blows in OT.

Jokić was nearly flawless, exploding for 40 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds. Most impressively, he became the first center in NBA history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game without committing a single turnover. His late-game brilliance fueled a Nuggets comeback from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit (107 – 96) with 9-mins remaining in regulation.

Wembanyama, returning from a one-game absence, was equally transcendent. The young star put up 34 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks, anchoring a Spurs defense that held the lead for most of the regulation. Despite his dominant interior presence, Wembanyama’s potential game-winner at the buzzer clanged off the rim, leading to a Denver-controlled overtime. The victory snapped the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak and kept Denver within half a game of the Western Conference’s third seed.

Here’s the last 18-second of the 4ht Qtr and OT.

Game highlights;

Spurs routs Warriors, for 10th straight win (127-113)

The San Antonio Spurs continued their late-season surge on Wednesday, defeating a short-handed Golden State Warriors squad 127–113. Led by Victor Wembanyama’s dominant 41 points and 18 rebounds, the Spurs secured their 10th consecutive victory.

The win bolsters San Antonio’s pursuit of the Western Conference’s top seed. Sitting at 58–18, they remain just two games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Conversely, the Warriors (36–40) are in survival mode. Currently holding the 10th seed, they occupy the final Play-In spot with a potential showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers. Without their primary scoring threats, Golden State struggled to match San Antonio’s efficiency, which saw seven players score in double figures.

Reports suggest Stephen Curry is on track to return from his knee injury before the regular season ends on April 12. Curry has resumed full-squad scrimmaging and on-court drills. His return is critical for a Warriors team likely facing a “win-or-go-home” Play-In scenario, providing the veteran leadership and firepower needed to spark a deep postseason run.

Highlights;

Gregg Popovich steps down as San Antonio Spurs Head Coach

San Antonio Spurs just announced that Gregg Popovich will be stepping down as the head coach for the team and will transition to team president. The announcement ends Popovich’s three-decade run with the Spurs that “saw him lead the team to five NBA championships, become the league’s all-time wins leader and earn induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.”

According to the NBA official website:

Popovich’s career ends with a record of 1,422-869, which does include the 77 games — 32 wins and 45 losses — that were coached by Johnson this season. He also won 170 playoff games with the Spurs, the most by any coach with any one team and the third-most overall behind only Phil Jackson’s 229 and Pat Riley’s 171.

“The best there ever was,” Spurs great Manu Ginobili said last year of Popovich.

Popovich was a three-time NBA Coach of the Year, led the U.S. to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and coached six Hall of Famers in San Antonio — Ginobili, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Dominique Wilkins and Pau Gasol. He went up against 170 different coaches during his time in the NBA and there have been 303 coaching changes made in the league, including interim moves, during the Popovich era.

Popovich, 76, missed all but five games this season after suffering a stroke at the team’s arena on November 2nd. He hasn’t been seen publicly since, although he expressed hope of returning to coaching before the season’s end

Mitch Johnson will now be the Spurs Head Coach permanently, as he was the acting head coach of the team during Gregg Popovich’s absence.

San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle named 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year

Castle beat Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher and Memphis’s Jaylen Wells by a huge margin.

Stephon Castle is the 4th overall pick of the San Antonio, last year Spur’s Victor Wembanyama took home the ROY award.

Here’s the official announcement by for this year’s Rookie of the Year Award.

You can also read NBA’s official statement here.

Harrison Barnes’ 3-pointer buzzer beater gives Spurs a 114-111 win over Warriors

Spurs costs the Warriors their playoff seeding by winning on a Harrison Barnes’ 3-pointer buzzer beater. Barnes, a former Warriors, made the 3-pointer with just 3 seconds left in the game.

Harrison Barnes scored 20 points, making 6 of 9 three-pointers, while Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson both scored 21 points, and a combined 11 rebounds. It was a no bearing game for the Spurs for the lost has a lot of implication for the Western Playoff standings, it moved the Warriors from the 6th seed to the 7th seed, in the NBA play-in tournament.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 30 points and 8 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler III added 28 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Draymond Green was flirting with a triple-double game with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. In the post game conference, Warriors Draymond Green said “We messed around with the game and we lost. ”

The Warriors’ last 2 “must win” games against Portland and LA Clippers, in order to avoid being included in the NBA play-in tournament.

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox going to Spurs and Bulls’ Zach LaVine to the Kings

Another blockbuster trade involving Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls, this was reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The three-team trade will bring De’Aaron Fox going to Spurs, Bulls’ Zach LaVine to the Kings and Three Spurs will go to the Bulls.

Here’s a breakdown of the trade;

San Antonio Spurs get:

  • De’Aaron Fox
  • Jordan McLaughlin

Sacramento Kings get:

  • Zach LaVine
  • Sidy Cissoko
  • 2025 first-round pick (via Hornets)
  • 2027 first-round pick (via Spurs)
  • 2031 first-round pick (via Timberwolves)
  • 2025 second-round pick (via Nuggets)
  • 2028 second-round pick (via Bulls)
  • Their own 2028 second-round pick

Chicago Bulls get:

  • Zach Collins
  • Tre Jones
  • Kevin Huerter
  • Their own 2025 1st-round pick (via Spurs)

Source: NBA

Dubs defeats Spurs to keep In-Season Tournament hopes Alive (118-112)

Golden State Warriors are still in the running for the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament, powered by Steph’s shooting brilliance.

It was a close game in the 1st half with Victor Wembanyama helping the Spurs with his 22 points, 9 rebs and 4 assists, but shot 1 of 6 from the three-point line. There was also a defensive sequence by 6-foot-2 guard Gary Payton II (GP2), when he blocks Spurs 7-foot-3 rookie Victor Wembanyama’s jump shot. This was GP2 first game after recovering from a foot injury.

Golden State started to break away from the Spurs at the end of the 3rd qtr and continue at the start of the 4th qtr, where they lead as much as 18 points, but the Spurs were able to make a run and cut the lead to just 4 points with still a whole minute left in the game. But the Spurs couldn’t complete the comeback since Curry and Thompson made all their free throws.

Warriors guard Steph Curry lead the team with 35 points and 6 assists, he’s 7 of 14 from beyond the arc. Curry got a lot of help from the team particularly from the bench; Saric, who played for just2 6 mins, is the second leading scorer with 20 pts, 7 rebs and 4 assists then add the two steals that he made. Klay Thompson also made significant contributions adding 15 points, 3 rebs and 6 assists.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 24 points and 22 pts by Keldon Johnson with 12 rebounds 4 assists. San Antonio finished 0-4 in the group play of the In-Season Tournament. While the Golden State Warriors are still in contention to advance to the knockout round of the In-Season Tournament, as they face the Sacramento Kings this Tuesday for the final game of Group C play.

Spurs will visit Denver this Sunday evening.
Warriors will face the Sacramento Kings this Tuesday.

Here’s the complete 2023 NBA Draft Results

The 2023 NBA Draft just concluded with San Antonio Spurs emerging as the winner to draft Frenchman Victor Wembanyama in the coming 2023 NBA Draft this 22nd of June 2023 in Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.

Below are the results from NBA Draft Lottery 2023;

First Round: Picks 1-30

  1. San Antonio
  2. Charlotte
  3. Portland
  4. Houston
  5. Detroit
  6. Orlando
  7. Indiana
  8. Washington
  9. Utah
  10. Dallas
  11. Orlando (from Chicago)
  12. Oklahoma City
  13. Toronto
  14. New Orleans
  15. Atlanta
  16. Utah (from Minnesota)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. Miami
  19. Golden State
  20. Houston (from LA Clippers)
  21. Brooklyn (from Phoenix)
  22. Brooklyn
  23. Portland (from New York)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Memphis
  26. Indiana (from Cleveland)
  27. Charlotte (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City)
  28. Utah (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn)
  29. Indiana (from Boston)
  30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston)

Second Round: Picks 31-58

  1. Detroit
  2. Indiana (from Houston)
  3. San Antonio
  4. Charlotte (from Charlotte via Philadelphia and Atlanta)
  5. Boston (from Portland via Atlanta, LA Clippers, Detroit, and Cleveland)
  6. Orlando
  7. Oklahoma City (from Washington via New Orleans)
  8. Sacramento (from Indiana)
  9. Charlotte (from Utah via New York)
  10. Denver (from Dallas via Oklahoma City)
  11. Charlotte (from Oklahoma City via New York and Boston)
  12. Washington (from Chicago via Los Angeles Lakers and Washington)
  13. Portland (from Atlanta)
  14. San Antonio (from Toronto)
  15. Memphis (from Minnesota)
  16. Atlanta (from New Orleans)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. LA Clippers
  19. Cleveland (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans)
  20. Oklahoma City (from Miami via Boston, Memphis, and Dallas)
  21. Brooklyn
  22. Phoenix
  23. Minnesota (from New York via Charlotte)
  24. Sacramento
  25. Indiana (from Cleveland via Milwaukee and Detroit)
  26. Memphis
  27. — Chicago (from Denver via Cleveland; forfeited by Chicago)
    — Philadelphia (forfeited)

  28. Washington (from Boston via Charlotte)
  29. Milwaukee

Winning the #1 overall pick doesn’t assure that a franchise will be able to pick the best player in the class but it does help in knowing that a team can pick the player that they want.